Newhouse eyes second straight WSOP Main Event final table
Mark Newhouse had 7.35 million chips when he made the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event last year.
He will have more than that when Day 6 of the $10,000 buy-in No-limit Texas Hold ’em World Championship starts at noon Sunday at the Rio Convention Center.
Newhouse, a native of Chapel Hill, N.C., now living in Los Angeles, finished play early Sunday as the chip leader with 7.4 million as he looks to become the first player in the “November Nine” era of the WSOP (since 2008) to reach two Main Event final tables.
Newhouse finished ninth in 2013.
“I’m in a much better position than I was last year,” Newhouse said. “Last year, my main focus was just getting through every day, whereas this year I’m really in position to accumulate a lot more chips and run people over.”
Action was halted early Sunday with 79 players still in the running for the $10 million first prize. Kyle Keranen, with 6.67 million tournament chips, opens Day 6 in second place, while Scott Palmer is in third with 6.595 million.
Newhouse, seated at one of the ESPN secondary feature tables during the evening, had 8.269 millon chips at the break at 1 a.m. Sunday before taking a hit during the final hour of play.
The last player to make the final table of the Main Event in two straight years was Dan Harrington in 2003 and 2004.
“I hope I can do it,” Newhouse said. “I’ve felt very relaxed through the whole thing. I’m not feeling too much pressure.”
HO LAST FEMALE: Maria Ho is the last woman standing in the Main Event for the second time in her career.
Ho, who will have the shortest stack with 435,000 chips when play resumes Sunday, finished 38th in 2007. Six women started Day 5, and Mikiyo Aoki was eliminated on the last hand before play was halted in 83rd place.
Aoki had nearly 3 million chips at the 10:30 p.m. break but endured a difficult final three hours. Her chip stack dwindled to about 500,000, and she built it up to 1.025 million before her pocket 10s ran into the pocket kings of Eddy Sabat.
CHIP COUNTS
1. Mark Newhouse - 7,400,000
2. Kyle Keranen - 6,670,000
3. Scott Palmer - 6,595,000
4. Bruno Politano - 5,475,000
5. Andoni Larrabe - 5,470,000
6. Dan Smith - 5,360,000
7. Dan Sindelar - 5,240,000
8. Tony Ruberto - 5,235,000
9. Iaron Lightbourne - 4,975,000
10. Leif Force - 4,745,000
Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ.
